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Aviation History
1918
1918 - 1042.PDF
\f P'<«*g«gft at times, especially in the Cambrai region. Twenty-three hostile machines were destroyed in air fighting, and 14 others were driven down out of control. Three German balloons were brought down in flames. Thirteen of our aeroplanes are missing. During the day 21 tons of bombs were dropped by us on various targets. No flying was possible at night." Headquarters R.A.F., Independent Force, September yth. " On the night of the 6th-7th inst. our squadrons carried out attacks against two hostile aerodromes. Fires were caused, but observation of results was hindered by weather conditions, as were operations generally. All our machines returned. On the morning ol the 7th inst. our squadrons attacked the railways at Ehrang and the chemical works at Mannheim. Good bursts were observed on and beside the railway lines at Ehrang. Fierce opposition was met with in the raid on Mannheim, but, despite this, the objective was reached and success- fully bombed. Eight direct hits and many other good bursts were observed 011 the chemical works. Our squadrons fought largely superior numbers of enemy aeroplanes both before and after reaching the objective. One squadron had a hard, continuous fight for a distance of 70 miles before reaching its objective, and the fight continued for another 70 miles on the way back. Over 2 tons of bombs were dropped on Mannheim. As a result of the fighting one enemy aero- plane was destroyed, and two more hostile machines were driven down out of control. Four of our machines are missing." General Headquarters, September Jth. "Eleven German aeroplanes were brought down on September 6th in air fighting and 12 driven down out of control. One enemy balloon was destroyed. Five of our mahinesc are missing. Observation for the artillery was continued both by aeroplanes and balloons. Some valuable reconnaissances were carried out by our machines and a large number of photographs were taken, while our balloons reported much useful tactical information. During the day and the following night 32 tons of bombs were dropped by our airmen, the railway con- nections at Armentieres, Lille, Douai, Denain, Cambrai, and St. Qtientin being heavily attacked. All our night-flying machines have returned." General Headquarters^ September &lh. " Clouds and rain-storms limited work in the air on September 7th, but a good deal of artillery observation was carried out, as well as reconnaissances and contact patrols. Eight hostile machines and one balloon were destroyed by our airmen. Three of our machines are missing. Thirteen tons of bombs were dropped by us during the 24 hours. Our night bombing machines all returned safely." War Office, September Sth. " Italian Front.—Nothing of interest has occurred on this front since my last report. Hostile artillery has shown diminished activity. Since August 25th eight enemy aircraft and one captive balloon have been destroyed. One of our machines is missing." General HeadynartPrs, September gth. On September 8th the sky was overcast and there were frequent rainstorms with high wind. Our aeroplanes carried on their work for the artillery with difficulty, and also accomplished a number of reconnaissances and contact patrols. Five tons of bombs were dropped during the day. There was no flying at night. The activity of the enemy's machines was very slight, but we brought down five and drove two down out of control. None of our machines are missing." War Office, September gth " Saiontca.—On September 3rd six of our scouts, engaging an equal number of enemy machines near Lake Doiran, crashed four of them. Another hostile- aeroplane was destroyed near Rupel on September 4th, and an enemy observa- tion balloon was brought down behind our lines on the 3rd inst. In the Struma Valley, on the night of September 7th-8th, the Greek outpost line was advanced, without enemy opposition, to the general line Kakaraska-Kalendra-Haznatar." French. Paris, September 2nd. " The bad weather hindered aerial operations during the day of September 1 st. Nevertheless, four enemy aeroplanes were shot down and one captive balloon set on fire. Our reconnoitring aeroplanes in the course of theirexpeditions carried out several bombardments in the region of La Fere. Convoys on the road system round St. Quentin and La Fere were machine-gunned. During the night nearly 10 tons of bombs were dropped on railway stations, and in particular en those of Maries, Laon, and Ham, causing fires. In additicn, 8 tens of projectikt were dropped on the bivouacs in the region of Villers-Franqueux and on the rail- way stationsof M aison Bleue and Cignicourt. On thelatterrailway station alone 4I tons of projectiles were dropped, causing heavy damage." ' A Paris, September 3rd. " During the day of September 2nd, favoured by the fine weather, our Air Service displayed particular activity on the whole front and carried out important work. Our observersmadenumerousreconnoitringexpeditionsovertheenemy's lines and took some hundreds of photographs. In the battle zone our infantry aeroplanes marked the advance of our trccps, located the enemy's forces and batteries in action, and in conjunction with the artillery co-operated in (he destruction of the enemy's centres of resistance. Very many fights took place, in the course of which 19 enemy aeroplanes were shot down or put out of action, SEPTEMBER 12, 1918. and nine captive balloons set on fire in particularly perilous conditions. Our bombing aeroplanes, in the course of expeditions carried out during the day, dropped over 13 tons of bombs on the regions of Chavignon, Anizy, and Bran- court. During the night, in spite of the cloudy weather, our bombers continued their work. Sixteen tons of projectiles were dropped on the railway stations, bivouacs, and railways in the enemy's back areas. The railway station at Flavy-le-Martel alone received 6 tons. Two violent fires broke out as the result of this bombardment. Three tons dropped on the cantonments of the region of Jussy and 4 tons on the railway stations of Guignicourt and Maison Bleue gave excellent results. In addition, our bombers used several thousand rounds on the enemy's bivouacs." " Balkans.—Allied airmen bombed the railway stations and encampment in the region of Hudovo-Ghevgueli and depots in the Struma valley. Two enemy machines were driven down in air fighting, one near Hudovo by French airmen, the othernear Seres by British airmen." Paris, September 4th. "Balkans.—British airmen bombarded the station of Miletkovo and were engaged in several aerial combats. One enemy machine was brought down and four others were driven down out of control." Paris, September 5th. " Balkans.—British airmen bombarded camps in the Vardar valley and shot down an enemy biplane." Paris, September 6th. " Balkans.—French and British airmen bombed the enemy organisations in the Vardar valley." Paris, September 8th. " Balkans.—French and British airmen bombed enemy encampments in the regions of Monastirand Struma." There was activity on the whole of the front, especially west of the Vardar, in the Tcherna bend, in the region of Monastir, and between the Lakes, where the enemy attempted a raid which collapsed, and cost biro heavy losses. In Albania there were patrol encounters." U.SJV. " Yesterday our airmen successfully bombed the railroad yards at Lon- guyon, Dommary, Baroncourt.andConflans." Italian. Rome, September 2nd. " During the day the enemy's front lines were repeatedly attacked with success by our and Allied airmen. A powerful Italian flight flying to the east of Livenza bombarded with visible results a hostile aviation camp. Numerous enemy machines which arose to fight were dispersed by our escorting planes." Rome, September 4th. " In the^ afternoon of September 1st an enemy aeroplane was brought down and anotEer forced to land." Rome, September Jth. "Albania.—On the 5th and Gth Italian naval machines and British aero- planes carried out several bombardments, inflicting losses and damage on the enemy." Rome, September Ktk. " Our flights dropped 2 tons of bombs on the sheds and machines of the hostile aviation camp near Belluno. Other reconnoitring flights /an through up and down the Gail and Drava Valleys, and flying very low dropped bomb* with great accuracy on the Villach and Lienz railway stations." Belgian. Havre, September 4th. " Sub-Flight Lieut. Coopens on September 3rd and September 4tb set ore to two enemy balloons, thus achieving his 29th and 30th victories." Havre, September 6th. " Our artillery brought down an enemy aeroplane." German. Berlin, September 3rd. " Yesterday we shot down 13 enemy balloons and 55 aeroplanes, 36 upon the Arras battlefield, and of these 26 were brought down by Chaser-Squadron N0.3 under the leadership of First Lieut. Lorzer. First Lieut. Lorzer thereby achieved his 35th aerial victory." Berlin, September 4th. " Yesterday we shot down 32 enemy aeroplanes and seven captive balloons. Lieut. Rumey achieved his 30th aerial" victory." " Berlin, September 4th. " Yesterday we shot down 32 enemy aeroplanes." Berlin, September gth. " Five aeroplanes were brought down out-of an Knglish squadron which advanced to the attack. In August, on the German fronts, 565 enemy aero- planes were brought down, 62 of them by our anti-aircraft guns and 52 captive balloons. Of these, 251 aeroplanes are in our possession. The rest were observed to fall on the other side ot the enemy lines We lost in battle 143 aeroplanes and 86 captive balloons." Austrian. Vienna, September 8<A. " On the Italian front there has been very lively aerial activity." More Protests by Holland. IT is stated that the Dutch Minister in London has been instructed to protest to the British Government against various violations of Dutch territory by British aeroplanes. Leaflets by Balloon. ACCORDING to a report received by the North GermanGazette from Eschwege, a small balloon without a gondola drifted over the village of Malkomes, in the district of Cassel,dropping French pamphlets entitled "Mr. Balfour's Reply to Count Hertling." German Aeroplanes after Tanks. WRITING on September 3rd, Reuter's correspondent *>t the British Headquarters says such fighting aeroplanes as the Germans have employed have been almost wholly devoted to anti-Tank work, particularly by night, when they constantly cut off their engines to try and detect the grinding of the tractors, and then drop brilliant parachute lights, so as to see where to bomb. German Seaplanes Off the Syrian Coast. i<; ' Two patrol vessels belonging to the French Naval Division off the Syrian coast were attacked on four occasions during the morning of August 28th by a squadron of enemy seaplanes. The patrols returned their fire, hitting one of the seaplanes and damaging it. The Kaiser and the Zeppelin. IN his series of articles in the Times on " The Kaiser as I knew Him," Mr. Arthur N. Davis, the Emperor William's American dentist, throws a sidelight on the attitude of the " All-highest " towards the Zeppelins. He says :— " The failure of the Zeppelins from a military standpoint was undoubtedly a great disappointment to the German people at large, who had counted so much upon them to bring disaster to England, but it cannot be said that the Kaiser shared their chagrin. On the contrary, I have reason to believe that he never expected very much from that arm of his military force except as it might be useful to terrorise the civil population. A day or two after Zeppelin's death, in 1917, a patient of mine, a lady, happened to remark that it was too bad that the Count had not lived to see the triumph of his invention, and when I saw the Kaiser shortly afterwards I repeated her remark to see what he would say. " • lam convinced that the Count lived long enough to see all that the Zeppelins were capable of accomplishing,' was his only comment. It recalled the answer he had given me some years before when both Zeppelins and aeroplanes were in their infancy, and I had asked him which held the greater promise. ' We do not know. Time alone will tell,' was his reply." IO42
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